New stories await amid travel adventures

Harley cried, and looked up at me with eyes like saucers. He wanted to sit on my lap. He had moved between beds and blankets all summer long. They were behind my office chair, on the floor by the wall with the fairy lights. He is a loyal research companion.

“You wanna come up mate?”

I scooped him up and sat him on my legs as if he was a toddler about to be bounced up and down. I could edit with one hand, and rest the other on the desk in front of him. He placed his paw on top of my hand and left it there for encouragement. 

 

After another thirty minutes, the email was sent. The next draft chapter was making its way to the necessary people, and I was grinning. I had improved my writing beyond recognition and even though it meant my time walking in the sunshine had been limited this summer, I was full of pride. 

I closed the laptop lid and kissed Harley on top of his head. It was time to prepare for a trip.

 

Excitement prevented me from sleeping any longer than five hours. That would do. 

Jasmine and I would use ‘list making’ as an excuse to get lunch somewhere nice, before wandering around the shops to see what we needed for our next trip. Could we call the trip a holiday? I wasn’t sure. They were always ‘work’, but the kind of work you could frequently do without any thought of complaining. We had big plans. 

Facebook housed a group of people who had already been to the resort. This was a genius way of making friends, finding information and making new relationships before we went there. We have so many plans already and I can’t wait to begin writing a new chapter for the book, and filming videos for YouTube. There are more trips planned, all fitting nicely around work, and my PhD research. 

 

My mind is already over there, getting up early, hunting down a frothy coffee and sitting somewhere peaceful to journal. The resort's sun comes up over the sea, and the rooms overlook the sea. Isn’t that just the ideal picture in the mind?  I am excited about life in a renewed way I haven’t felt before. Even though I can’t explain it, I absolutely don’t mind. Whatever this feeling is, it can stay. Wanderlust being fulfilled once again in my inflamed body, I fully intend to make the most of walking barefoot on the sand. The feeling of the warm sea lapping against the ankles is just the most smile-inducing thought right now as I sit at my breakfast table pre-suncream shopping. My cells will come alive today, and in two weeks as we head to the airport, and maybe the inflammation will lower. 

 

New stories will be born, which I haven’t even got an outline for right now. I love that about travel writing; it just takes you on a wave and guides you with every turn. Seeing new things to describe, meeting new people to become ‘characters’, and having new experiences to create the backbone of the tale, all add to the beauty of ‘adventure’.

People see me tapping away at the laptop and ask why I’m working.

“Oh, no, this isn’t working. This is my passion.”

Did you forget the promise you made yourself during lockdown?

 Hello! So, my book is finally out today, after over a year of delays. 

In this book you can find more of the things you loved last time to get you thinking about life, what is living and how can we do it better?

Rejoice:

The first book saw an excited load of loveliness as we all rejoiced in the summer sun, the time away from routine and general sense of 'finding purpose'. Then the rules came, we were kept away from our families, unable to see people we needed to take care of... sadness crept in. But among that was a sense of knowing that we can learn from this pandemic. Did you promise yourself that? Have you forgotten those promises? This book gives you a reminder, as well as a chance to write down the story you want to tell yourself to help create your ideal life. The first book is here: Covid-19: How it made us feel The second, new book is here: DeJaVu: Life from behind the mask

DéjàVu: From behind the mask is PUBLISHED

 I am so excited to share the latest news with you.

You LOVED Covid-19: How it made us feel when it was shared with the world back in 2020. We hit bestseller status and I was loving my life beyond measure.

Me and my fellow writers found it therapeutic to share our thoughts with the world at that time and I truly wanted to get another book out there. In the meantime, I have been honing my phenomenology skills, which is a study of the lived human experience, and how to interpret it. That's called hermeneutics. But that doesn't matter. What I can now tell you is that there is a very different feel to the second book. 

During our first lockdown, we seemed to have an element of joy around doing things differently. We rejoiced in catching up with our lives and ourselves. During the capture of the second (kindle version, click here) lot of stories, there were tragedies and a sense of gloom as families began to become divided. 

What was the difference? The weather wasn't as good. We were given more rules to follow, so perhaps the joy of living life on our terms was now being changed, as we had to follow rules in an attempt to not catch the virus.

So many people wanted to write for this book. At the end is a section in the paperback version where you can record your thoughts. The passing of time means we forget certain things, and how we were feeling. Did you remember what all of the lockdowns were called? Can you think of the different ways in which you adjusted life? Write them down now before you forget.  You can record those thoughts after a quick reminder from myself and other incredible authors who have shared their innermost secrets and darkest fears, while talking you through little funny quirks of life which will also make you smile. 

Do you care too much?

 

During a blogging lull on this website, life has been busy. Nothing more than you, I expect. 

Just life stuff. 

Recently, I’ve been aiming to focus on the forward direction of my career. It’s been a juggling act while trying to look after Mum of course, and still be a hands on mother myself. 

Do you find you take a backseat in the place of putting others first sometimes? I'm going to explain why you must stop that. 

Your life is your life. 

Not someone else's, because they have their own journey and path. Emotional vampires are easy to spot and dismiss from your schedule. But sometimes those who seem genuinely in need are the ones who are hard to omit. 

You know the oxygen mask analogy already. And you probably understand that one. But life in the day-to-day schedules should be no different. We need to take care of ourselves as a priority. We won't be able to help others if we aren't in tip-top shape.

In January 2021 I started my PhD journey. It's using a lot of focus. Mum doesn't understand it,

"I don't know what she does in her office but I don't suppose it matters," I overheard her say on the phone.

Yes, it matters Mum. And you can ask. I matter and so does my work.

I brushed that comment aside (almost, otherwise I wouldn't mention it here) and I began to reach out for help.

The UK has a crisis relating to the care system right now. Their solution is to ask the families to step up more and they support us to do that. Again, with my health, work, children, it's all a little overwhelming. So here's what happened.

Mum was given an assessment. 

So was I.

I've been given periodic support to help care for Mum when I am away researching for my writing projects. Amazing. I couldn't be more pleased. While it still doesn't make it easy (Mum and I have never been close, and she admits she is capable but just lazy,) it is becoming more possible to continue my own life too.

This week, we researched and focused from a place in the countryside. I took a while to settle in, as I am becoming more homely recently.

*I spilled hot coffee all over me.

*I got a huge splinter from a rowing boat (I called it exercise).

*The fridge door shut on my arm, cutting it in the process.

*I was anxious at the number of other dogs running around, off leads while Harley can now hardly walk.

But, this was focus time nonetheless.

I watched the sun rise at 4am, I slept with the rhythms at 10pm. I wrote. I formatted, ready for the next publication. I journaled in the hope I would gain clarity on my forward direction.

Sometimes, until you figure it all out, you might just have to 'wing it'.

But a lull on this website is unwelcome. I'm back. Are you still with me?

Camber Sands beach in Sussex - the best beach in England?

The smell of an early evening barbeque, the call of greedy seagulls ahead, friends laughing and the odd beats of some mixed music means it must be summer in England.

Many years ago, when my brother was alive, he would gather friends on an Annual trip to Camber Sands beach. They would spend the day on the beach, enjoying the sun, dipping into the sea and eating picnics. They made a day of it, staying on the beach until sundown. In June, this means 10pm in England - and it beats laying in a hot bed, unable to sleep.

Recently, we had a hot day, before its time, in the UK. So my daughter, our friend and I took to Camber sands for the lovliest day out. We spent time laughing, like girls should, and enjoying the feeling of soft sand on our feet.

This video shows you a girls day out on the camber sands beach, in Rye, Sussex. It's one of the best beaches in the Uk, in my opinion, and definitely one of the most popular.

We enjoyed eating cheesy chips in one of the little huts at the side of the sand. Sitting high in the sand dunes helped protect us from the wind and the sun was shining brightly on us and the wet sand. What a beautiful day we had.

See more reviews here: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1752567-d2248776-Reviews-Camber_Sands-Camber_Rye_East_Sussex_England.html